Random...because it's Monday.

I have absolutely no recollection of watching t.v. as a child.  I'd say my first memory would be whenever Full House came on the air.  And that show was my life.  I'm not exactly sure what my mom did with us when she wanted to go take a shower or something. I actually don't ever recall her taking showers.  I mean, I know she did, but sometimes I wonder how my kids will remember me and the things I do.  I, for one, do not remember my mom doing anything that involved us not being around.  So, in leiu of the television, sometimes she would draw faces on our hands and we would have a conversation with those little hand puppets.  If it got really crazy, she'd draw faces on our toes. 
The other day, Isabella was the only one up from her nap, it was kind of dark and rainy outside. I didn't really feel like doing anything that required me to be vertical, we don't have cable, and the kids movies on Netflix make me crazy.  So it was a pen and some body art. I'm pretty sure it ranked up there on Isabella's "most fun activity" list.  The little things....

 If only we had markers handy. This could have gotten out of hand.

 This little dude talked to us all night.

Isabella drew a ballerina on my hand. Notice her tutu? And can I just say that the day Isabella's little people stop having legs protruding from their chin, will be a sad day indeed.

Now, just brace yourself for the next one.  Isabella was hunting for options as to what she could draw on what body part.  This child has a strange belly button. I will be the first to admit it. I love it, it's cute, but it's a half inny, half outy and just kinda strange.  I looked at it and in an instant, a thought popped into my head and we ran with it.  She loved it and begged me not to wash it off in the bath that night.  She's still talking about her little baby with a pacifier.

Sorry.

So, on to more productive activities. I have been in a battle with advent calenders for awhile now.  I buy them, don't do them, and promise to next year.  I remember two advent calenders as a kid. One was the type with the little doors and the piece of chocolate inside and the other was something we made in girl scouts that had little mints hanging on a velvet ribbon.  I loved the concept but I'm pretty sure I really just loved getting candy every day.  I have a smal felt advent calender with pockets so small that I could probably fit one tic tac inside.  That just wasn't going to work. Mostly because I'd have to figure out how to split one tic tac three ways.  So this year I saw this idea on a few different blogs and thought it would be something that Declan and Isabella would love and something that would also really help them see the countdown to Christmas. Now when they ask for the 435th time, when Santa's coming, I just say "go check the banister."

In Isabella's little world, this was the greatest idea ever. She looks forward to pulling a tag all day.  The first night's tag was "decorate your bedroom for Christmas" which she was terribly dissapointed in because Martha Stewart Jr. wanted it to be all about making a craft, but she came around and after giving two little ones a bag of "leftover" Christmas decorations and letting them loose in their bedrooms, we came away with some very "leftover" looking decor.

We've gotten pretty creative, flubbed a couple of times, made up some stuff due to lack of preparedness, and created a glittery mess.  If nothing else, it's given us gauranteed family time every night before bed where everyone is focused on eachother.  That's what they notice the most. A little flap with chocolate is opened and closed in seconds.  Glitter snowflakes, reindeer candy canes, board games by the fire and notes to our family last.  Afterall, that's what they want: everything to last.